SCM November/December 2007

Updated:Mar 6,2015

Making the World a Better PlaceCaregivers make a huge difference in the lives of their survivors, often at a huge cost to themselves. Then there are those who use the experience of stroke in their families as inspiration to make a broader contribution. In celebration and recognition of National Family Caregivers Month, we present three such people: Maria Meyers, author and publisher of The Comfort of Home, a guide for family caregivers; Dr. Elizabeth Frates, a physiatrist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston and author of Life after Stroke; and Sue Fabian, a geriatric care manager and elder law attorney in Detroit.

BrushstrokePainter Dianne Mitchell of Pismo Beach, Calif. shares a beautiful and imaginative story of her stroke. In a letter accompanying her story, she talks about the impact of the stroke on her art and how she was able to return to painting.

Tuckered Out? Dealing with Post-Stroke FatigueMany survivors are concerned with the fatigue that is sometimes a lasting result of their strokes. Physical therapist Walter Weiss of RanchoLosAmigosNationalRehabilitationCenter in California discusses the causes of this and gives some practical tips for dealing with it.

The GirdleCaregiver Doris Thurston of Florida shares a harrowing experience of dealing with her father’s personality change after a stroke late in life. Like many family caregivers, Doris had to negotiate the demands of parents in failing health while trying to fulfill her own needs. The story reflects the stress and frustration family members often feel as the survivors’ health deteriorates and they become increasingly difficult to care for.

Departments:

Letters to the Editor features correspondence from readers about the magazine’s editorial content. In this issue:

Readers Room features personal stories, letters, poems and artwork from stroke survivors and family caregivers.

Life at the Curb: Ticket to Ride (and Park)This month comedian and survivor John Kawie shares his experience of the “Holy Grail of disability: the handicap parking permit. It was like the state of New York handing me the keys to a luxury high-rise condo. Even ‘the Donald’ didn’t have this.”

Everyday Survival features patient advocacy tips from caregiver, geriatric care manager and elder law attorney Sue Fabian, who also appears in this month’s feature story. This issue’s department also includes four books by stroke survivors and caregivers.